RECIPES: Recipe Details

Lone Star Whiskey Peppercorn Steak Burger

Texans love to eat quality seasoned beef, fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, spicy salsa, and have an occasional drink of the good stuff. What I've tried to do with this recipe is wrap all of these things together into one great tasting burger. It's based on what might be considered a traditional hamburger, nothing fancy. What sets it apart is the abundance of flavor that this juicy burger contains.

Marinade
In a small glass bowl combine soy sauce, whiskey, worcestershire sauce, celery powder and cayenne pepper. Add diced garlic and diced onion by squeezing each through a garlic press. Set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Pour marinade over ground chuck and gently mix it in with a fork until the marinade is evenly blended throughout the meat. Hint: use the color of the meat to judge when marinade is evenly distributed.

Shape the meat mixture into six equal sized balls. Place each meat ball onto a piece of waxed paper, and using your fingers gently press and form the balls into patties about 5 inches in diameter.

Sprinkle approximately 1/2 tsp of coarse ground black pepper on top of each meat pattie. Lightly embedd pepper by placing a piece of waxed paper on top and gently pressing down. Turn patties over so peppered side is now down. Remove the waxed paper from the unpeppered side of the pattie which should now be the top. Sprinkle approximately 1/2 tsp of coarse ground black pepper on this side of the pattie also. Replace waxed paper and lightly embedd pepper by gently pressing down.

Preheat gas grill to medium high.

Place the 6 tomato slices in a single layer on the bottom of a large rectangular glass cake or roasting pan. (If a metal pan is used, line it with parchiment paper before placing tomato slices in it) Place an onion slice on top of each tomato slice. Cover pan with foil. (A cooked meat pattie will be placed on top of each onion slice)

Brush preheated grill rack with canola oil.

Remove waxed paper from meat patties and place on grill. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes per side. Place one cooked meat pattie on top of each onion covered tomato slice and re-cover pan with foil while preparring buns.

Seperate buns into halves and spread some butter on the cut side of each bun halve. Place bun halves on grill, butter side down, and toast. Once toasted spread a heaping teaspoon full of Lone Star Sauce on the toasted side of each bun halve. Place a lettuce leaf on each sauce covered bun bottom. To assemble each burger, use a spatula and carfully lift a tomato-onion-meat pattie stack and place on top of a lettuce covered bun bottom. Cover with bun top (sauce side down), cut completed burger in half, secure each half with a toothpick and serve.

Makes 6 burgers

Comments

This is my basic version of this recipe. Other versions include swiss or cheddar cheese. Sometimes I use a jalapeno cheese bun. I have also substituted brandy for whiskey. What is consistant for each recipe is the seasoning and cooking of the beef, and the Lone Star Sauce.